Machine for handling eggs



May 3, 1966 H. .1. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT HAROLD J. NUNIM y 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HAROLD a. NUMMA BY W ATTORNEY May 3, 1966 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1955 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS J6 l5 Sheets-Sheet 5 .9 786 U *jlvea e02 INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY May 3, 1966 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA BY M01 4 ATTORNEY 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS mwm wmm o mmm 8% $9 ooz mm:\ \L M 9 mvo. o 1 m NB. umml OQoT WMMU \Nmm Qmm vwm in Q 3:

May 3, 1966 Original Filed Dec.

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INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY May 3, 1966 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS l5 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1955 INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY y 3, 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR HAROLD J MUNMA sY/e m ATTORNEY y 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGs Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 1O INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY May 3, 1966 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS 15 Sheets-Sheet 11 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 INVENTOR HAROLD J. "UNMA aY )fiuw 3 ATTORNEY y 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet l2 IF'IB 2 q O 0 0 Q Q Q 6 lE-s- INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA W WiW/ 1 K x ATTORNEY y 3, 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 E'IB 25 TIB ZEI F'II3 ZEI INVENTOR HAROLD J MUMMA ATTORNEY y 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 14 ='===i:etn 770 985 H78 770 755 3 E L r mm 5 964 L/ Vo /9 s q 968 752 #753 G b INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY May 3, 1966 H. J. MUMMA 3,249,206

MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Original Filed Dec. 28, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 HAROLD J. uumu ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,249,206 MACHINE FOR HANDLING EGGS Harold J. Mumma, Riverside, Calih, assignor to FMC Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application July 16, 1959, Ser. No. 827,599, now Patent No. 3,075,672, dated Jan. 29, 1963, which is a division of application Ser. No. 400,466, Dec. '28, 1953, now Patent No. 2,895,274, dated July 21, 1959. Divided and this application Aug. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 216,937 12 Claims. (Cl. 198-170) The present invention relates to machines for handling articles such as eggs, and more particularly to an improved carton handling mechanism for article handling machines.

The present application is a division of Mumma application Serial No. 827,599, filed July 16, 1959 now Patent 3,075,672, which was in turn a division of Mumma application Ser. No. 400,466 that is now Patent No. 2,895,274, dated July 21, 1959.

An object is to provide an improved device for limiting the space between successive impellers.

Another object is to provide means operable to place the individual pocket rows of multi-row egg cartons into egg receiving position relative to an egg supporting supply conveyor and to advance a successive pocket row of the carton into egg receiving position relative to the conveyor whenever a preceding pocket row has been filled with eggs from said conveyor.

Another object is to provide an improved impeller mechanism for use with a conveyor for advancing cartons in an egg handling machine.

Another object is to provide an improved conveyor for advancing cartons in an egg handling machine.

Another object is to provide an improved drive mechanism for a carton supplying conveyor.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the complete egg handling machine of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is-a schematic side elevation of the same machine viewed from the side opposite to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective of eighteen packing stations associated with the terminal run of the distributing conveyor.

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical section across the distributing conveyor taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and looking toward the first of the eighteen packing stations.

FIG. 6 is a perspective of one of said packing stations.

FIG. 7 is a perspective of an egg carton that may be handled by the packing station illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of a cardboard grid and associated base plate that may likewise be handled by the packing station illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the packing station with its carton supply magazine removed.

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section through a packing station and the lower part of its carton magazine taken along line 10-10 of 'FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows the upper part of the magazine illustrated in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal vertical section through a packing station similar to FIG. 10, but taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 9 and viewed in a direction opposite to said FIG. 10.

ice

FIG. 13 is a vertical section through a packing station taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is another vertical section through a packing station taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 12 and viewed in a direction opposite to FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary perspective of pusher or impeller members supported upon the carton feed conveyor of each packing station.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating the manner in which the feed conveyor of the packing station may be adjusted to handle either cartons or cardboard grids.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are fragmentary vertical sections through the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 16, showing consecutive operational position-s thereof.

FIG. 19 is a perspective diagram illustrating the electrical circuits of each packing station and the mechanical components controlled thereby.

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary exploded perspective of the switch control cams forming part of the circuit arrangement illustrated in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating the control mechanism for the carton feed conveyor of each packing station.

FIG. 22 is a detail view illustrating mechanism association with the mechanical power train of each such carton feed conveyor.

FIG. 23 is a perspective of a battery of six egg release solenoids provided along the distributing conveyor at each of the eighteen packing stations.

FIG. 24 is a fragmentary transverse section taken along line 2424 of FIG. 23.

FIG; 25 is a detail view illustrating part of the mechanism shown in FIG. 24 in a different operational position.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the terminal run of the distributing conveyor taken along line 26-26 of FIG. 24.

FIGS. 27, 28 and 29 are schematic detail views showing consecutive operational positions of the mechanisms illustrated in FIG. 26.

FIGS. 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D are schematic sect-ions through a packing station similar to FIG. 10 illustrating consecutive operational phases of the packing station.

General lay-out of the machine Having first reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises six candling stations 1 50 individually identified by the reference numerals 151, 152, 153, 154, and 156. Each of said stations is provided with a platform 157 upon which the candler receives cases or crates with eggs from an inclined roller conveyor 158. At every one of said stations, an operator examines the eggs for external appearance, views them against a torch to determine their internal condition and places those found acceptable upon one of eight superposed racks or chutes according to their individual quality, while depositing eggs that are broken, excessively dirty, or otherwise unfit for human consumption into cardboard containers (not shown) placed upon trays that are supported in candelabrum fashion at the right end of the racks.

After being candled, each egg is passed through a I weighing mechanism 180, and the quality and weight of the egg is registered in a rotary control device 170, called a memory belt, that operates within a cabinet 172.

From the weighing mechanism of the six candling stations the eggs are delivered by means of a lowering mechanism (not shown) onto a common single file conveyor that carries an endless sequence of egg retaining buckets.

The conveyor 185 conducts the eggs through an oiling station 188 (FIG. 1) wherein eggs of selected quality and weight combinations are subjected to an oil spray under control from the memory belt 170 to preserve their freshness. Thereafter said conveyor 185 extends over eighteen consecutive packing stations 190 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4), each provided with a container supply magazine 191, and as it carries the eggs consecutively to said packing stations, it distributes eggs of the same preselected weight and quality combinations under control from the memory belt 170 at predetermined onesof said stations into suitable cardboard containers delivered by feed conveyors 192 (FIG. 6) from the magazines 191 into positions underneath the distributing conveyor, such that said containers will receive only eggs of the same preselected weight and quality group. After a cardboard container has been filled in the described manner with eggs of the same quality and weight group, it is discharged onto a take-off ramp 193 from where an attendant may transfer it onto a suitable take-off conveyor 194 or 195, dependingon its size (FIGS. 4 and 5), while means enter into operation that deliver a fresh cardboard container from the magazine 191 into egg receiving position below the distributing conveyor 185.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the mechanisms, at the packing stations 190, that store cartons, dispense cartons from a magazine, and convey the cartons to the positions at which they receive eggs from the egg supply conveyor 185. The other mech- .anisms of the machine are described in the Mumrna Patent No. 2,895,274 and reference should be had to that patent for a detailed description of the construction and operation of those mechanisms.

After carrying the eggs contained in its buckets 186 through the oiling station 188, the upper run of the distributing conveyor 185 leads over eighteen juxtaposed packing stations 190 as previously pointed out. Each of saidpacking stations comprises a magazine 191 adapted to hold a stack of superposed egg containers, and each of said stations is arranged to place containers from its respective magazine in succession into egg-re-- ceiving position below the upper run of the' distributing conveyor such that eggs of predetermined quality and weight combination released from the buckets of the distributing conveyor under control from the memory belt may drop into successive pockets of said containers; and after a row ofpockets has been filled with eggs, means enter into operation that advance the container a limited distance so that its next pocket row moves into egg-receiving position below the distributing conveyor; and whenever all the successive pocket rows in a particular container have been filled with eggs, each packing station is arranged to eject the filled container onto a take-01f ramp 193 and place a new container from the magazine with its leading pocket row into egg receiving position below the upper run of the distributing conveyor.

Having reference to FIGS. 5, 6, 9, 10, and 12, each of the packing stations 190 comprises a container feed conveyor 192 that leads from below the container magazine 191 to a point below the upper run 572 (FIG. 5) of the distributing conveyor 185. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the feed conveyor 192 (FIG. 6) is formed by three horizontally disposed, parallel, transversely spaced rods 751a, 751b and 751c that are rigidly supported from the opposite ends 752 and 753 of an elongated rectangular base frame 754. Along said rods egg containers placed thereon are pushed by impellers 755 that are supportedat equal intervals from two endless sprocket chains 756a and 7561). Said sprocket chains are trained about a pair of sprockets 757a, 75% and a pair of sprockets 758a, 7581) mounted upon transverse shafts 759 and 760, respectively, that are rotatably supported in the side walls 762a and 762b of the base frame near the opposite ends thereof in such a manner that the upper runs of the chains extend parallel to and closely below the rods 751a and 7510, respectively, with the impellers supported therefrom protruding into operative container propelling position between, and above the level of, said rods. The hereinbefore mentioned container supply magazine 191 is mounted upon outwardly turned flanges 766a and 766b provided along the upper edges of the side walls 762a and 762b of frame 754, and is preferably of such construction that it may selectively be adjusted to hold and dispense either cartons 767 of the type providing two rows of six pockets each as illustrated in FIG. 7, or cardboard grids 768'which form six consecutive rows of each six pockets and which rest loosely upon base plates 769 as illustrated in FIG. 8. The latter type containers, when filled with eggs, are placed in superposed relation into crates or cases to pack large numbers of eggs for transportation to consumers. For the sake of simplicity they will hereinafter briefly be referred to as cardboard grids'770.

Having reference to FIGS. 6, 10, 11, and'12, each container magazine is formed by a pair of vertically disposed transversely spaced rear bars 774:: and 774b that constitute the rear wall of the magazine and which are rigidly attached to and rise from the upper edge of a vertically positioned transversely extending mounting plate 776 that is bolted along its lateral edges to a pair of uprights 778a and 778b. Said uprights in turn are bolted to and rise from the outwardly turned flanges 766a and 76612 of the side walls 762a and 76% of the previously mentioned base frame 754. Secured to therear bars 774a and 774'b at different vertical levels are upper and lower frame bars 780 and 782, respectively, of rectangular shape, to which are rigidly secured pairs of vertical side bars 784a, 786a and 784b, 786b, that form the side walls of the magazine; The front wall of the magazine is formed by a fourth pair of spacedvertical bars 788a and 788b which are supported in such a manner from the front bars 790 and 792 .of frames 780 and 782, respectively, that they may, selectively be moved from the position shown in full lines in FIGS. 10 and 11 wherein they define a magazine for two-row cartons 767 to the position shown in phantom lines in said FIGS. 10 and 11 wherein they define a magazine of a size adapted to hold the hereinbefore described sixrow cardboard grids 770. For this purpose, transverse hinge rods 794 and 796 are rotatably supported in the side portions 798a, 798b and 800a, 80022 of the frames 780 and 782, respectively, adjacent the front portions 790 and 792 thereof, and firmly mounted upon said hinge rods are pairs of laterally positioned arms 802a, 8021; and 804a, 8041) that extend in a direction inwardly of the frames. Rigidly supported in the free ends of said arms are cross rods 806 and 808, respectively, that are rotatably received in the parallel legs 810a, 81012 and 81211, 812b of U-shaped brackets 814 and 816, whose connecting bars 818 and 820 are rigidly secured to the front bars 788a and 788b, respectively, at different verurge the described supporting structure into its lower position which is shown in phantom. lines-in FIGS. 10 and 11 in a position wherein stop lugs 824a and 8241) (FIG. 7) provided on the front bars 788a and 788b, respectively, bear against the hinge rods 794 and 796 and wherein said front bars define a magazine for the hereinbefore described cardboard grids 770. From this position said supporting structure may be raised on the hinge rods 794 and 796 into the position shown in full lines in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 wherein the front bars 788a and 78% define a magazine of a size adapted to accommodate a stack of two-row cartons 767 and wherein a transversely extending spring bolt 826, slidably received bars between the upper stop lugs 824a and 824b and the upper U-shaped bracket 814, slides over one of the side portions of the upper frame 780 and in this manner prevents the supporting structure from returning to its lower position under the force of gravity and under the urgency of the spring means 822.

Supported from the hereinbefore mentioned uprights 778a and 77% adjacent the lower ends of the rearwardly positioned side bars 784a and 7841) are superposed pairs of fingers 838a, 8301) and 832a, 832b that form a gate mechanism 833 which is adapted to retain a stack of cartons 767 in the magazine when said magazine is adjusted to its narrower position, and which may be operated to release cartons from said stack so that they drop individually onto the carton supply conveyor underneath. Said fingers 830a, 83011 and 832a, 8321) depend from pairs of superposed spindles 834a, 8341] and 836a, 8316b rotatably received within the uprights 778a and 7.7812 and have inwardly turned tips 838a, 83% and 840a, 840b, respectively, that reach normally into the interior of the magazine at levels spaced vertically apart by a distance about equal to the depth of a carton so that a stack of cartons may settle within the magazine with the lower fingertips 838a and 838b engaging the wedgeshaped center groove 841 (FIG. 7) of-the lowermost carton in the stack and the upper fingertips 840a and 84011 engaging the wedge-shaped center groove of the second lowest carton in the stack. Means are provided in accordance with the invention that may be energized to briefly withdraw first the lower finger tips 838a and 838b from within the magazine so as to release the lowest carton from the magazine while all other cartons are retained within the magazine by the upper finger tips 840a and 840b, and then said upper finger tips so that upon delivery of the lowermost carton onto the conveyor underneath and return of the lower finger tips to their .carton retaining position, the stack of cartons above the upper finger tips may drop onto the lower finger tips whereupon the upper fingertips return to engage below what is then the second lowest carton in the remaining stack. Having reference to FIGS. 13, 14 and 19, the hereinbefore described vertical mounting plate 776 carries on its outer face a solenoid 842 Whose normally projected armature 844 is pivotally connected through a vertical link 846 with the end of an inwardly directed arm 848 that is firmly mounted upon the protruding rear end of the spindle 8341) for the right lower finger 830b, which spindle 85411 is rotatably supported in the upright 77812 as previously described. An interponent 852 pivotally connects another upwardly directed arm 854 on the spindle 83411 with the end of a downwardly directed arm 856 that is firmly mounted upon the rearwardly protruding end of the spindle 834a for the left lower finger 830a, which spindle is rotatably mounted in the upright 778a as previously described. Upon energization of the solenoid 842 retraction of its armature 844 swings the spindle 83412 of the right lower finger 83Gb in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 19, and in this manner swings the right lower finger tip out of the magazine. The defined rotation of spindle 8341) is effective through the interponent 852 to turn the spindle 834a of the left lower finger in clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 19, which swings the left lower finger tip out of the magazine. Upon de-energization of the solenoid 842 a spring 858 tensioned between a stud 860 projecting from the mounting plate 776 and the interponent 852 returns both fingers 830a and 83% immediately to their inwardly projected carton retaining position.

To operate the upper fingers 832a and 83211 the mounting plate 776 carries another solenoid 862 whose nor mally upwardly projected armature 864 is pivotally connected through a link 866 to an inwardly directed arm 868 that is firmly mounted upon the rearwardly protruding end of the spindle 836a which carries the left upper solenoid 862 is, therefore, effective to Withdraw the tips of both the upper fingers 832a and 8322b from the interior of the magazine in the same manner in which energization of the solenoid'842 is effective to retract both the lower fingers from the magazine, and upon de-energization of the solenoid 862 a spring 878 tensioned between a stud 880 projecting from the mounting plate 776 and a suitable point of the interponent 874 returns both the upper fingers 832a and 832!) immediately to their inwardly projected carton retaining position.

Appropriate energization of the two solenoids 842 and 862 to operate the upper and lower carton retaining fingers in the proper sequence and at the proper time in the operation of the machine is controlled, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter, by a cam disk 882 (FIG. 20) that is firmly mounted upon the hereinbefore described transverse shaft 759 of the carton supply conveyor.

Whenever the magazine is adjusted to handle the here 'inbefore described cardboard grids 770, the retaining to retain the cardboard grids 770 within the magazine and which may be operated to release a base plate 769 with its appertaining cardboard grid 768 individually for delivery onto the feed conveyor underneath. Said gate Inech- I anism 886 is in permanently disabled condition long as the magazine is adjusted to handle the two-row egg cartons as previously described and it embodies the same principles as the above described carton retaining mechanism with its upper and lower pair of retaining fingers. Accordingly, it comprises a pair of upper inwardly turned retaining flanges 888a and 88817 that correspond to the tips of the upper fingers of gate mechanism 833 and which are formed at the lower ends of plates 890a and 890b, respectively. Said plates are firmly mounted along their upper edges on horizontal spindles 892a and 892b which are pivotally supported in and between the hereinbetore described uprights 778a, 778b and another pair of up rights 894a, 894th that rise from the hereinbefore described flanges 766a and 76611 of the base frame at points in front of the side bars 786a and 786b, respectively, of the magazine (FIGS. 6, 13, and 14). Likewise supported for rotation from and between the mentioned uprights 778a, 894a and 778b, 884b, respectively, is another pair of spindles 896a and 8S6b, each carrying rigidly secured to their front and rear ends depending arms 898a, 900a, and 89819, 96612, respectively, and rigidly secured to the lower ends of said arms below the level of the inwardly turned flanges of the plates 896a and 8901) are angle bars 902a and 98% having inwardly turned substantially horizontal flanges 804a and 9042: that correspond to the tips of the lower fingers of gate mechanism 833. Secured to the rearwardly protruding end of the left lower spindle 896a is a downwardly directed arm 906 whose free end is pivotally connected through an interponent 908 to an upwardly directed arm 910 that is firmly mounted upon the right lower spindle 8961). Likewise mounted upon said spindle is an inwardly directed arm 914 which is pivotally connected by means of a link 916 to the normally upwardly projected vertically disposed armature M8 of a solenoid 920 that is supported from the repeatedly mentioned mounting plate 776. The rearwardly projecting end of the right upper spindle 892b carries firmly secured thereto an upwardly directed arm 922 which is pivotally connected through an interponent 924 to a downwardly directed arm 926 that is firmly mounted upon the rearwardly protruding end of the left upper spindle 892a. Likewise mounted upon said spindle 892a is an inwardly directed arm 930 which is pivotally connected through a vertically disposed link 932 to the upwardly projected armature 934 of yet another solenoid 936 that is supported from the mounting plate 776. When the magazine is adjusted to a position wherein it handles cardboard grids 770, both the superposed pairs of flanges 888a, 88811 and 904a, 9041) are projected into the interior of the magazine under the urgency of springs 938 and 940, respectively, that are tensioned between the interponents 924 and 908 and appropriate studs 942 and 944 projecting rearwardly from the mounting plate 776. When said flanges 888a, 88% and 904a, 904b are in said inwardly projected position, the lower pair of flanges 904a, 90% supports the lowermost base plate in the magazine, while the upper pairsof flanges 888a, 8881? protrudes into the stack of superposed cardboard grids below the second lowest base plate in the stack. In order that the upper pair of flanges 888a and 8881; may dependably move in below the second lowest base plate 769 in the stack, the vertical distance between the upper and lower retaining flanges in the position illustrated in FIG. 14 is arranged to be slightly less than the total depth of a base plate with a cardboard grid resting thereon, and in order that the upper set of retaining flanges 888a and 888k may close in below the second lowest base plate in the stack without crushing the lowest cardboard grid 768 in the stack, the inner edges of said flanges are provided with recesses 946 corresponding to the projecting ends 947 of the transverse walls of the cardboard grids (lFIG.

8) so that only the tongues 948 formed between adjacent recesses 946 in the edges of the upper flanges 888a and 8881) move in below the second lowest base plate in the stack. When a cardboard grid is to be released from the magazine the solenoid 920 of the lower set of retaining flanges 904a and 90411 is first energized retracting its armature 918 for a brief period of time to withdraw said lower retaining flanges from the magazine. This causes the lowest base plate with its cardboard grid resting thereon to drop upon the supply conveyor underneath, while the upper retaining flanges 888a and 888i) prevent the re- 'maining supply of base plates and cardboard grids in the magazine from following suit. As the lower set of carton retaining flanges return to its inwardly projected position under the urgency of spring 940 upon de-energization of solenoid 920, the solenoid 936 is briefly energized causing withdrawal of the upper carton retaining flanges 888a and 88817 which permits the remaining stack of superposed cardboard grids within the magazine to drop onto the lower set of retaining flanges 904a and 9041); and upon de-energization of the last-named solenoid 936 the upper set of carton retaining flanges 888a and 888b closes in and moves with its tongues 948 below the second lowest base plate within the magazine so that the mechanism is again in its initial position wherein it is ready for another operational cycle.

In order that the second lowest base plate with its cardboard grid resting thereon be properly centered with regard to the magazine so that it may, upon withdrawal of the upper retaining flanges, drop freely upon thelower set of retaining flanges during the brief moment before said upper flanges return to their inwardly projected positions, said last mentioned flanges 888a and 88% carry longitudinally extending centering ledges 959a and 950b, as shown in FIG. 14.

The exact moment and the proper sequence in the operation of the solenoids 920 and 936 is determined by the same cam disc 882, on the supply conveyor shaft 759 8 that controls the operation of the actuating solenoids for the two superposed pairs of carton retaining fingers, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Each of the hereinbefore mentioned impellers 755 of the cart-on supply conveyor is formed by pairs of channel sections 954a and 954b that are firmly mounted in juxtaposed relation at either side of the central carton supporting rod 7511) upon a common horizontally disposed tubular rod 956 (FIG. 15). Said rod is rotatably supported by means of pivot studs 958 projecting inwardly from transversely aligned links 960a and 96011 of the conveyor chains (FIGS. 13 and 14). As the impellers 755 travel along the upper run of the conveyor chains, they are positively moved into, and thereafter maintained in, a rotary position upon the pivot studs 958 whereintheir leading face .962 extends first in a steeply slanting and thereafter in a substantially vertical plane as shown in FIGS. .10 and 12. For this purpose the tubular rod 956 of each impeller 755 carries firmly mounted upon one of its ends a rearwardly directed arm 964 provided with a roller 966 and as an impeller swings around the rear sprockets 757a and 757-b of the conveyor chains, the roller 966 on its arm 964 engages first the outer edge of a circular camming disc 968 mounted upon the rear shaft 759 of the conveyor and then the upper edge 970 of a bar-shaped camming ledge 972 that is suitably supported from the adjacent side wall 762. of the base frame 754. The periphery of disk 968 and the initial portion of edge 970 are of such a level as to hold the impellers in the rearwardly inclined position illustrated at 974 in FIGS; 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D wherein they funnel a carton or cardboard grid dropped from the magazine onto the guide rods 751a, 751b and 7510 into the space in front of the impellers. However, directly below the magazine the camming edge 970 forms a gentle rise 976 that is effective to swing the impellers from said rearwardly inclined positions into the upright position shown at 978 in FIGS. 10 and 30A to 30D wherein their leading faces 962 lie practically in a vertical plane and press fully against the rear wall of a carton or cardboard grid deposited'in front of them.

In order tht the control arm 964 may always trail behind its respective impeller and its roller 966 may there fore be properly engaged by the camming disc 968 as an impeller approaches, and rises behind, said disc on the return run of the conveyor, the rotation of the tubular mounting rods 956 of the impellers upon their pivot studs 958 is limited to a relatively narrow arc. For this purpose the opposite end of each mounting rod 956 is pro vided with a disc 980 (FIGS. 15 and 24) having a cutout sector 982 whose side edgesembrace a stud 984 that is face of a preceding impeller and the leading face of a succeeding impeller will snugly receivea cardboard grid 770. To facilitate the. introduction of a cardboard grid dropped from the magazine into the pockets thus formed, the upper portion 990 of the trailing face 988 of each impeller is preferably inclined as shown in FIGS. 15 and 24.

Means are provided in accordance with the invention to appropriately shorten the pockets formed between successive impellers whenever a packing station is adjusted to handle cartons of the two-row type, such as illustrated in FIG. 7. For this purpose, the chains 756a and 7561) of the carton supply'conveyor carry intermediately each two consecutive impellers 755 a carton retaining member 992 that is normally dropped below the surface of 754 (FIGS. 16, 17, 18 and 24).

9 theguide rods 751a, 751b and 751c whenever the packing station is employed to handle cardboard grids, and which may be raised into effective carton retaining position above the level of said guide rods when the packing station is to handle two-row cartons.

Having reference to FIGS. 16 and 24, each retaining member is formed by a pair of channel sections 994a that are firmly mounted in juxtaposed relation at either side of the central carton supporting rod 751b (FIG. 14) upon a common horizontally disposed tubular rod 996 (FIG. 16). Said rod 996 in turn is rotatably supported upon pivot studs 958 (FIG. 24), that project inwardly from transversely aligned link-s 960a and '960b (FIG. 13) of the conveyor chains 756a and756b (FIG. 9). When traveling along the upper run of the supply conveyor, said channel sections 994a and 994b drop normally below the level of the guide rods 751a, 7511) and 7510 under their own weight to an extentlimited by the width of a recess 998 provided in .the outer edge 1000 of a forked stop member 1002 that is firmly mounted upon the tubular mounting rod 996 of each retaining member 992 and which comes with its upper rotation limiting finger 1004 against a stop stud 1005 that projects inwardly from a trailing link 960a of the adjacent conveyor chain 756a, as illustrated in FIG. 16. To raise the retaining members 992 from their ineffective position to a position above the guide rods 751a, 7511) and 751c so as to define pockets 1006, on the conveyor, of a size adapted to receive and retain two-row cartons of the type illustrated in FIG. 7, a camming ledge 1008 extending lengthwise of the conveyor below the upper run of its chain 756a (FIG. 12) and adjacent the frame side wall 762a is swung from the laterally inclined position shown in FIG. 16 to the vertically disposed upright position shown in FIGS. 13 and 19 wherein its upper edge engages a roller 1010 that is .pivotally supported from a rib 1012 which is secured to the under side of the channel segment 994a at the outer edge thereof. Said camming ledge 1008 is firmly secured to two arms 1014 and 1016 that turn on a horizontal shaft 1018 which extends longitudinally of, and is suitably supported from, the side walls 762a of the base frame The arm 1014 is part of a bellcrank 1020 (FIG. 16) whose other arm 1022 extends through a vertical slot 1024 in the side wall 762a and carries pivotally mounted upon its outwardly projecting end an actuating stem 1026. Said stern extends upwardly through a slot 1028 provided in :the outwardly turned upper flange 766a of said side wall 762a and carries at its upper end an actuating disc or button 1030. To limit the downward rotation of the eammingledge 1008 upon the horizontal shaft 1018, the actuating stem I 1026 forms an outwardly projecting stop shoulder 1032 near its lower end whose upper edge is of greater Width than the slot 1028. Said shoulder, therefore, comes against the lower face of the flange 766a when the camming ledge 1008 drops under its weight in clockwise di rection as viewed in FIGS. 16, 17 and 18, and in this manner limits positively the downward movement of said camming ledge.

Above the stop shoulder 1032 the actuating stem 1026 forms an outwardly slanting camming edge 1034 that ends a limited distance below the actuating disc 1030 in an abruptly receding latching shoulder 1036 which is of lesser width than the slot 1028 in flange 766a. When it is desired to move the retaining members 992 on the upper run of the carton supply conveyor into their effective pocket forming positions so that the conveyor may properly handle two-row cartons of the type illustrated in FIG. 7, the operator depresses the button 1030 until the latching shoulder 1036 drops through and below the slot 102 8 in flange 766a. Thereupon he swings the Stern 1026 outwardly upon its pivotal connection with the arm 1022 of the bell crank 1020 so that upon release of the operating bu-tton 1030 the latching shoulder 1036 may engage underneath the outer edge portion of the flange 766a and main- *tain the stem 1026 in its depressed position with the caniming ledge 1003 raised into effective condition against the opposing weight of said camming ledge. To yieldably retain the stem in its depressed and outwardly inclined position, a spring 1038 may be coiled around the upper end of the stem 1026 between the operating button 1030 and an 'apertured disc 1040 that is engaged over the upper stem end and which bears normally against the latching shoulder 1036.

When the stem 1026 is depressed in the above described manner, the bell crank 1020 swings in counterclockwise direction, as'viewed in FIGS. 16 and 17, which brings the upper edge of the camming ledge 1008 at first against a plurality of downwardly slanting camming edges 1042 formed by the ribs 1012 from which the rollers 1010 of the various retaining members 992 are supported. This is effective to raise the retaining members on the upper run of the conveyor 192 gradually in clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 16 and 24 until the camming ledge is in the vertical position illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 18 wherein its upper edge is engaged by the rollers 1010. With said rollers thus engaged, all the retaining members 992 of the carton supply conveyor 192 are swung into effective position, as they move onto the upper horizontal run of the conveyor, and are maintained in said position over the total length of said run (FIGS. 10 and 1-2). When in said effective position they present a substantially vertical surface 1044 formed by their trailing walls to the leading surface 962 of the directly succeeding impellers 7 55 on the conveyor and the distance between said vertical surface on the trailing walls of the retaining members in effective position and the leading walls of the directly succeeding impellers is arranged to be of the proper size to snugly receive and retain a two-row carton, as illustrated in FIG. 24.

To prevent that cartons or cardboard grids may accidentally leap from the pockets 985 and 1006 formed between consecutive impellers or consecutive impellers and retaining members, respectively, when the former propel them along the guide rods 751a, 7511) and 7510, the leading face of each impeller section may form a transverse recess 1046 along its upper end, and mounted within said recesses for rotation about an eccentric axis are cylindrical sleeves 1048 whose outer surfaces are preferably coated with a suitable plastic 1050 as best shown in FIG. 24. The cylindrical sleeves 1048 of both impeller sections are engaged over and rigidly secured along their inner surfaces to transverse spindles 1052 that are rotatably mounted in bearings 1054a and 1054b which are held in the upper ends of the impeller sections, as best shown in FIG. 15, the arrangement being such that the upper end of the trailing wall 988 of each impeller section positively holds the sleeves 1048 upon spindles 1052 in a rotary position wherein they protrude only very slightly beyond the front surface 962 of the impeller, as shown in FIG. 24. Hence a carton or cardboard grid dropped into the pocket in front of the impeller may readily slide with its rear wall downwardly past the protruding segments of the cylindrical sleeves 1048, but when the direction of movement of the carton or cardboard grid is reversed, its frictional engagement with the surfaces of the sleeves 1048 will tend to turn said sleeves upon the spindles 1052 in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 24, which projects the sleeves further beyond the leading face of the impeller sections and in this mannerblocks upward movement of the carton or cardboard grid. For the same purpose, a strip 1056 of plastic material may be provided along the upper end of the vertical face 1044 formed by the trailing wall of each retaining member 992, as likewise shown in FIG. 24.

During practical performance of the described packing stations, the conveyor chains 756a and 756b are intermittently at rest with one of the impellers 755 on their upper runs initially in a position substantiallyin vertical alignment with the rear bars 774a and 7'74b of the carton 

1. AN IMPELLER FOR CARTON SUPPLY CONVEYOR COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL FRONT WALL FORMING A RECESS NEAR ITS UPPER END, AND A CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID RECESS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ECCENTRIC AXIS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID FRONT WALL IN SUCH A MANNER THAT, IN ITS POSITION OF EQUILIBRIUM, A SECTOR OF ITS CYLINDRICAL SURFACE PROJECTS BEYOND THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID WALL. 